Combination boring bar guide and sealing means



Dec. 5, 1939. s. G PROBERT COMBINATION BORING BAR GUIDE AND SEALINGMEANS Filed July 6, 1936 H. w a iv /L A M. 1

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Patented Dec. 5, 1939 PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION BORING BAR GUIDE ANDSEALING MEANS George G. Probert, Walnut Park, Calif., assignor to EmscoDerrick and Equipment Company, Los Angeles, Caliitl, a corporation ofCalifornia Application July 6, 1936, Serial No. 89,154

3 Claims.

My'invention relates to boring apparatus and particularly to a uniqueboring bar guide and stufiing box or sealing arrangement having certainmarked features and advantages over the prior art.

My invention is of utility in various industries for use in working onvarious types of work; and it is of particular value in the oilproducing industry for use in the boring of kellys which are used in thedrilling of oil wells. Because of this particular utility my inventionwill be described in connection with apparatus for boring kellys, but Ido not wish my invention to be limited to such use.

In the oil producing industry a bit is secured to the lower end of adrill pipe which extends from the bottom of the well where the drillingis being done upward to the surface of the ground and into the derrickwhere it is suitably connected and fed downwardly as drillingprogresses. Placed in the derrick is a rotary machine, and extendingthrough the rotary machine is the kelly which is of rectangularcross-section and forms a part of the drill string. During drillingoperations rotary mud is circulated through the drill string, and it istherefore necessary to have an opening formed through the kelly. Thiskelly is ordinarily forged and usually approximately eighty feet long.After the kelly has been forged to proper shape, it is then necessary todrill the fluid passage through it, this fluid passage being between oneand one-half inches and three and one-half inches in diameter.

Apparatus is in use at the present time for performing this boringoperation, but such apparatus has certain disadvantages which areovercome by my present invention.

It is an object of my invention to provide a guide and sealing meansattachment having means for guiding the tool into the work and means forforming a seal with the work in order that cutting compound may becirculated through the work to cool the parts and carry away thecuttings.

It is an object of my invention to provide an attachment of thecharacter mentioned which may be readily applied and removed from thework, thus saving considerable time. In the preferred form of myinvention the sealing means engages only an end face of the work, whichend face may very conveniently be prepared to receive the sealing means.This is a valuable feature in view of the fact that the kellys areordinarily non-circular and of different external'sizes. For this reasona special sealing means is required for each different size of kellythat is bored in a prior art machine.

It is another object of my invention to provide a tool guide and sealingattachment in which the bar supporting tool is guided concentricallyinto the work in which a seal is formed between the attachment and thework, and in which fluid is circulated into the Work around the tool andout of the work through an opening provided in the tool. 10

A still further object of my invention is to provide a tool guide andsealing attachment which includes a rotatable journal supported by theguide member and means for holding the journal in sealing engagementwith the work to enable the circulation of fluid through the work.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be brought out duringthe following description of the form of my invention which I havechosen to illustrate the features, principles, and advantages thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view illustrating an apparatus embodying thefeatures of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the guide and sealing means of myinvention.

' Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral ll represents the base or foundationfor the apparatus which includes suitable ways H which support variouselements of the apparatus. The numeral I 4 is representative of a meanswhereby work I5 is supported and rotated. In the form of my inventionillustrated herein this work consists of 40 a forged bar of rectangularcross-section and approximately eighty feet long which must have anopening of approximately one and one-half inches in diameter drilledthrough it, this piece of work, when finished, being a Kelly bar whichis used in the drilling of oil wells. For the purpose of supporting thework I5, in addition to its being supported by the supporting androtating means M, the invention provides work supporting means It whichconsists of a cylinder H supported on suitable bearing rollers l8, andwhich has engaging screws is which engage the flat sides 20 of the worki5 as shown best in Fig. 5. Supported adjacent the end of the work is aguide andsealing'means 23 which incorporates the,im.

portant features of my invention. If desired, an attachment, such as 23,may be placed at the right end of the work l5 as Well as at the left endthereof, and boring may be simultaneously formed from both ends of thework.

Adjacent the attachment 23 is a tool feed means 25 which includes a feedmember '25 which is fed tofthe right or to the left by mechanism withinthe feed means 24, and which feeds a tool bar or boring bar 25 which isshown as extending into and through the guide and sealing meansattachment 23.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, the attachment 23includes a body (it having a base flange 3i which may be secured to theways 82. The body 30 has a cylindrical opening 32 formed through it forthe purpose of receiving slips 33,-different sized slips beingreceivable to accommodate different sized spindles at which aresupported by the slips 33. The spindle 34 has a cylindrical shank 35which rests in a cylindrical opening 33 provided by the slips 33 and isgripped therein by the pressure of dowel screws 3'5 which screw throughthe upper Wall of the member 36 into engagement with the upper slip 33.

Formed at the right end of the shank 35 is a threaded portion 33 whichsupports a nut 59 which is used in longitudinally adjusting the spindle3d. Adjacent the threaded portion 39 is a shoulder 41, and extendingrightward from the shoulder 4! is a bearing sleeve 42. Rotatably mountedon the bearing sleeve $2 is a sealing means or journal 43. This journal43 includes a sleeve 44 made from a suitable bearing material andincludes a recess 25 for receiving packing 36 and the threaded portionof a packing gland A1. The left end of the packing gland 41 has ashoulder 48, and placed on a cylindrical portion d9 of the spindle 35between the shoulder ll and the shoulder 38 is a thrust bearing 5h. Theright end of the journal 43 is provided with centering pins 52 and withan annular sealing gasket 53 which engages a machined face 54 of thework 15.

Formed through the spindle 3 3 is an opening 58 through which the toolbar or boring bar 26 is extended. n the right end of the boring bar 23is a boring tool 58 which bores the opening, shown at 59, through thework it. For the purpose of circulating liquid, such as cutting compoundinto the opening 59 for cooling the parts and washing away the cuttings,the shoulder M is provided with a threaded port 69 which is connected toa passage 6!. The right end of the opening 56 in the spindle 34 is oflarger diameter than the boring bar 26, as shown at 62, so that there isan annular space provided whereby liquid may flow from the passage 6|around the boring bar 26 and into the opening 53. For the purpose ofsupplying fluid to the passage 35 a connection 6 3 is screwed into thethreaded portion 83, this connection being secured to the end of aflexible hose 65 which extends from a suitable source of supply. Theboring bar 26 is provided with an opening 63, and at the right end ofthe boring bar adjacent the boring tool is an opening 31 whereby cuttingcompound and cuttings carried thereby may flow into the interior of theboring bar '57 and be carried through the opening 36 thereof to asuitable screening means and to the source of supply for recirculation.For the purpose of forming a seal around the boring bar at the left endof the shank 35, the shank is 'sion and assures a tight seal.

provided with a recess 68 adapted to receive packing 69 and a packinggland 10.

In using the apparatus of my invention the work 15 is first set up inthe apparatus so that it is in a concentric position. The end face 54 isthen faced so as to be at right angles to the axis of rotation in orderthat suitable sealing engagement may be made therewith. By means, notshown in the drawing, a counterbore is formed in the end of the work 15so that the boring tool 58 may be received. This short bore is six oreight inches in length. After this has been done the attachment 23 isthen applied as shown in the drawing. The body 30 is secured in theposition shown in Fig.1. At this time the centering means 52 and sealingmeans 53 may be in engagement with the end 54 of the work l5. In orderto asure a tight seal the dowel pins 3! are loosened slightly and thenut 43, is rotated to advance the spindle 34 in a rightward direction.This places the sealing means 53 under compres- This thrust force istransferred through the spindle to the thrust bearing 50, through thegland t? to the journal :53, and through the sealing means 53 to thework it If it is necessary to adjust the gland 41 relative to thejournal 43 in order to tighten the packing ts, the position of thespindle may be readjusted to compensate for this difference in position.All of these adjustments are made prior to the time the boringoperations are commenced.

When the apparatus has been prepared as described above to perform theboring operation the means it is set into operation which rotates theboring bar. Furthermore, the feed means 2A is set into operation whichvery slowly advances the boring bar 25 in a rightward direction. Alsoliquid, such as. cutting compound, is supplied through the flexible hose55 which compound flows through the portion 62 of the opening 56 intothe opening 59 and outward through the opening 36 of the boring bar 26.These operations are continuously performed until the opening 59 hasbeen formed entirely through the work The particular features andadvantages of my invention will be obvious from the foregoing. It willbe seen that the attachment 23 may be very easily and quickly applied tothe work, the only preparation required being the truing of the end face54 so that a good seal may be made by the sealing means. Circulation maybe very readily maintained during the operation by the means shown.Furthermore, the bar 28 is held in a central position and is guided atall times. Any wear on any of the parts is quickly compensated for bythe adjustment of the nut 40 so that a satisfactory seal with the workmay be maintained at all times.

I recognize that various modifications and alterations may be made inthe apparatus which I have chosen to illustrate herein. I do not wish myinvention to be limited to the details of construction shown, but wishmy patent protection to cover the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

' 1. In a combination guide and sealing means of the class described,the combination of: a supporting body; a spindle supported therebyhaving a guide opening through which a tool extends, a shoulder on saidspindle, and a bearing sleeve extending from said shoulder; a sealingmeans journalled on said bearing sleeve and being adapted to engage thework to form a seal; a

packing gland for said sealing means; a thrust bearing between saidpacking gland and said shoulder; and means for circulating liquidthrough said work.

2. In a combination guide and sealing means of the class described, thecombination of: a supporting body; a spindle supported thereby having aguide opening through which a tool extends, a shoulder on said spindle,and a bearing sleeve extending from said shoulder; a sealing meansjournalled on said bearingsleeve and being adapted to engage the work toform a seal; a packing gland for said sealing means; a thrust bearingbetween said packing gland and said shoulder; adjustment means operablebetween said Spindle and said body for positioning said shoulder of saidspindle to exert a thrust force through said thrust bearing; and meansfor circulating liquid through said work.

3. In a combination guide and sealing means of the class described, thecombination of: a supporting body; a spindle supported thereby having aguide opening through which a tool extends, a shoulder on said spindle,and a bearing sleeve extending from said shoulder; a sealing meansjournalled' on said bearing sleeve and being adapted to engage the workto form a seal; a thrust bearing adjacentsaid shoulder; an adjustablemember mounted on said sealing means adjacent said thrust bearing, athrust force for holding said sealing means in sealing engagement w hsaid work being transmitted from said shoulder through said thrustbearing and said adjustable member to said sealing means; adjustmentmeans operable between said spindle and said body for positioning saidshoulder of said spindle to exert a thrust force through said thrustbearing; and means for circulating liquid through said work.

GEORGE G. PROBERT.

